Caterham Library

You wouldn't necessarily plan a holiday around a library, but if you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - Alderstead Heath or Milberry Green Meadows - Caterham Library is a genuinely useful spot when the weather turns. It's a proper community resource just in Redhill's orbit, and that matters when you're camping with kids who've exhausted the local attractions.

The library itself serves as a quiet retreat from campsite life. You'll find the usual selection of books, periodicals, and if you're lucky, a few local history sections that tell you something about Surrey's villages. Free wi-fi helps if you need to sort holiday logistics or catch up on emails. The staff tend to know the area well - worth asking about rainy-day spots nearby or local events you might've missed.

It's not a destination in itself, frankly. But with Alderstead Heath and Milberry Green Meadows both within a few miles, it plugs a gap on those inevitable grey afternoons when the campsite feels a bit limiting. Allow an hour if you're browsing, half that if you're just after a warm, dry space and a browse through the papers. Opening times and admission details are worth checking ahead - most community libraries are free, but rules vary.

Really, it's the kind of place that becomes valuable precisely because you didn't expect to need it. That's the reality of camping in Surrey.